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    Sycamore leaf

    Trees: Sycamore

    Posted on in Trees
    Trees: Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus is a maple, and is Europe’s largest maple species.  It’s easy to recognise, is common, and has some interesting folklore. Identification: Tree shape The tree grows to 35m and has a domed outline, with dense foliage.  Trees often have heavy lower branches.  It’s a deciduous species, and grows fast in a […] Read more

    Trees: English Oak

    Posted on in Trees
    I’ve been working on illustrations for “The Tree Forager” by Adele Nozedar, due to be published in August 2021.  It’s inspired me to have a look at a few of my favourite trees.  The English oak is the first in the series. The English oak Quercus robur truly is an iconic tree.  English Oak is […] Read more
    Lupin

    Garden Lupin Sketchbook study

    Posted on in Botanical Illustration step by step, Botany: Telling species apart, Current projects and news, Illustration techniques
    The Garden Lupin, Lupinus polyphyllus, is one of the invasive plants I was recently asked to illustrate for FOR Sweden.  This blog talks you through the steps involved in creating a finished botanical illustration of this flower.  There seems to be an enormous amount of confusion over the English name of this plant: Blue bonnet […] Read more

    Sketchbook illustrations of Invasive Plants

    Posted on in Current projects and news
    I’ve recently completed work on a series of sketchbook illustrations of invasive plants.  The client is FOR Sweden, and the botanical illustrations will be used on a big poster at a horticulture conference. Project overview There are eleven plants in total, and each species needed certain aspects illustrating.  In all cases I need to supply […] Read more
    halophytes Coastal seaside plant flowers

    Halophytes: Salt Tolerant Plants

    Posted on in Biological terminology: Definitions, botanical terms
    Halophytes: Salt Tolerant Plants Halophytes are plants that tolerate or thrive in salty conditions.  I recently finished the illustrations for a chart of seaside flowers, and got to wondering how these plants can survive in these hostile habitats?  Another job, illustrating stamps for a Seaside flowers issue, added to my interest. This blog had me […] Read more
    illustrating butterflies

    Illustrating Butterflies Workshop

    Posted on in Painting workshops
    Illustrating butterflies is wonderful, but has its challenges.  I recently taught a two day workshop to Northamptonshire Botanical Artists’ Society which focused exclusively on painting these gorgeous insects. Introduction to Butterflies We began with handouts and an introduction to the variety of insect life.  Touching on complete and incomplete life cycles, we also learnt their […] Read more

    Invasive & Japanese Knotweeds: Telling species apart

    Posted on in Botany: Telling species apart
    Invasive and Japanese knotweeds are incredibly successful plants.  Originally from Japan, China and Taiwan, they escaped from ornamental gardens, and have become established across the UK.  They’re especially common in urban and brown-field habitats, and love railway embankments and the damp soils of water ways.  One of the most difficult aspects of controlling them is […] Read more

    Botanical Illustration: Comparing HP Watercolour Papers 3

    Posted on in Illustration Equipment, Illustration techniques
    Introduction to the watercolour paper quest This is the third of three reviews of Watercolour Hot Press papers for botanical illustration.  This time, I find the holy grail…a replacement!  Please check out the first and  second in this series for more tests and results. As a natural history illustrator and someone who does plenty of botanical illustration, […] Read more
    hot press stonehenge

    Botanical Illustration: Comparing HP Watercolour Papers 2

    Posted on in Illustration Equipment, Illustration techniques
    This is the second of three reviews of watercolour Hot Press papers for botanical illustration.  Please check out the first and third in this series for more tests and results! As a botanical illustrator, having a good hot press watercolour paper to work on is really important.  Unfortunately, recently the paper I used to use, Fabriano […] Read more
    leaves

    Botanical Illustration: Step by step painting of leaves

    Posted on in Botanical Illustration step by step, Illustration techniques
    I recently taught a workshop of botanical illustration of leaves.  I broke down the process of painting a leaf into incremental steps.  these were shown on a demonstration painting of a blackberry leaf. Demonstration illustration showing different steps involved in painting a blackberry leaf.  There’s also a breakdown of the colours used to mix the greens […] Read more
    foraging

    Illustrations for Foraging for Edible Plants Chart

    Posted on in Current projects and news
    I’ve recently been working on natural history illustrations for The Field Studies Councils publications department.  They appear on a fold out chart of edible British plants which has only just come out.  I’m delighted with the result.   They’ve used my illustrations beautifully, and the way the information is included is innovative and clear. Finding reference Despite it being November […] Read more
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    Lizzie Harper